What Nightmares May Come
by BlueBrainProductions
Summary: Oneshot for Snow Princess17. Berwald starts to have terrifying nightmares that take a toll on both his life and relationship with Tino. Can he get the help he needs before going absolutely insane? Domestic!AU SuFin


Hooray! My first SuFin oneshot! I hope you enjoy it, Snow Princess17!

The topic was an angsty and happy SuFin story.

**Rated: T (for some gore and slightly scary things)**

Disclaimer: _Hetalia: Axis Powers_ to Hidekaz Himaruya

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_It was night and very dark. However, a dim light coming from the moonless sky allowed for some sight. Long shadows attached to tall, black trees were cast across the ground. A soundless wind blew through the leaves and rustled the waist high grass of the field. It was at the edge of this field where Berwald was standing. He did not know why he was standing there. There was no memory of how he got there. The Swede stared blankly at the wide expanse of grass before him. Then there was a tug at his heart and suddenly he was walking into the field._

_He ran his fingers through the grass, feeling the soft plants rub against his skin. It was almost like touching water. For what seemed like hours he walked silently. The tug on his heart would not let up. He knew it was leading him somewhere, but where? Only time would tell he figured. A dark shape appeared some ways in front of him. It grew larger as he neared it and he soon realized it was a scarecrow._

_The scarecrow's back was turned toward Berwald. Ropes were used to tie the figure to the wooden cross. It had been dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black jacket. The head could not be seen, but Berwald figured it had fallen off when the rope holding it up came undone. Despite knowing the straw-man was not a living being, it still made him slightly nervous. Something had led him to this place and now he knew the scarecrow was the reason._

_A slow dripping noise came to the Swede's ears. It sounded like a clock ticking away until its next chime. The drip was soft and yet loud. Berwald slowly moved around to stand in front of the scarecrow. As he moved his heart dropped into his stomach. The scarecrow was actually a man and the man was Tino. His head had fallen forward from the lack of support, hiding his face from view. A dark liquid was dripping from his lips. Only the ropes tied around his forearms kept him from falling to the ground. A gaping and bloody hole had been cut into the smaller man's chest. There was no heart in the void._

_Berwald was frozen to the spot. His mind grew numb and fear filled his veins. The dripping of blood was the only sound he could hear above the rushing of his own blood in his ears. He swallowed thickly, trying to get his bearings. A crow, with dark red eyes, landed on the top of the post. It watched Berwald take slow steps toward his loved one. Berwald reached out with his hand to touch Tino. He was shaking horribly and completely wide eyed. Suddenly, Tino's head rose up and he looked Berwald straight in the eyes. The Finn opened his mouth, trying to speak, but only blood dribbled down his chin. Out of surprise at the sudden movement, Berwald jumped back. However, he tripped over his own two feet and began to fall._

Blue eyes snapped open and Berwald shot up in the bed. He panted quietly, feeling his heart beat wildly in his chest. A few beads of sweat rolled down his face and the back of his neck. It was still night time. This was confirmed even more when he read three seventeen a.m. on the clock. Tino had not stirred at all from the jolting of the bed. He was lying on his side, facing away toward the open window. Berwald placed a shaking hand on Tino's back. Relief washed over him when he felt a steady heart beat and movement of the chest cavity as he breathed.

He stayed like that for nearly ten minutes, just watching and feeling. Eventually he was relaxed enough to lie back down. The sheets had cooled and felt wonderful on his sweaty back. Sleep did not return to him for the rest of the night. All he could do was lay there and think of Tino and the disturbing dream. Was it just a nightmare or some sort of premonition? The Swede hoped beyond anything else that it was not the latter. Before he knew it the clock was sounding off its seven thirty alarm. Tino jumped slightly when he was rudely pulled from sleep. With a slight groan of frustration, he pulled one arm out of the warm confines of the blanket so he could turn off the screaming machine. Once it was silent in the room again the Finn turned over to face Berwald.

"Good morning," he said and yawned.

"Mornin'," Berwald replied. "Did yeh sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. What about you? You look exhausted."

"I kept wakin' up, but it's okay."

Tino craned his neck and kissed his husband on the lips. "I'm sorry," he pouted slightly. "Maybe you can take a nap this afternoon."

"Yeah, I probably will."

They lay in bed for a few more minutes just cuddling and sharing a few lazy kisses, but they would soon have to get up. It was a Saturday and they had planned to do yard work. The flower beds in the backyard were getting filled with weeds and the hedges in the front needed trimming. Tino even mentioned wanting to move their small scarecrow near the shed to frighten away the animals eating the tulips.

"Okay, we need to get up." Tino stole another kiss and then got out of bed before anything more could be initiated.

Berwald smirked, causing the Finn to start backing up. He knew what that smirk meant.

"No, Ber, we are not –" The Finn yelped and ran into the bathroom.

The larger man had climbed out of the bed and chased after his husband into the washroom. The nightmare was all but forgotten for the rest of the day. It still simmered in the back of Berwald's mind, but he was not as disturbed by it. Tino was alive and well. There was nothing to worry about, but he should have been. That night another nightmare came.

_Berwald found himself sitting in a small rowboat. A dense fog prevented him from seeing any kind of landmark. He did not know if he was out on the ocean or a small pond. The water was dark and looked cold to the touch. It was still, like the surface of a looking glass. Berwald had never seen such quiet waters. He wanted to leave, get as far away from the dark water as possible, but there were no paddles to use. He was stuck._

_Something bumped against the side of the boat. Berwald looked over the side despite his mind screaming at him to not. He was startled to find Tino in the water. The Finn was floating on his back just under the surface. There were no visible wounds and it looked as though he was only sleeping. Berwald stuck his hands in the water to pull him out, but he could not grab the Finn. He tried harder, reaching further into the water until his shoulders were almost wet, but Tino remained just out of reach and yet it looked as though he was only a few inches below the surface._

"_Tino!"_

_The boat rocked back and forth violently with every effort to reach the sleeping man. Berwald finally decided to just get in the water. He began to pull his arms out and that was when it happened. Tino moved like a flash of lightening. One second he was floating peacefully and the next he had shot out of the water, grabbing Berwald by his upper arms and pulling him in._

_Berwald was immediately disoriented and he began to panic. There was no time to take a deep breath before being pulled in. He fought the strong hands that continued to pull him down into the murky depths, but it was no use. They were too strong. Bursts of precious air bubbles exploded from his mouth and floated slowly to the surface. Berwald closed his eyes, trying to get rid of the dark spots that had appeared in his vision. When he opened them again, Tino was right there in front of him. However, his appearance was no longer that of the man the Swede loved wholeheartedly. His body had become a rotted corpse. Empty eye sockets stared directly at the panicking man. Berwald could only open his mouth and scream._

For the second night in a row, Berwald sat up in bed shaking and panting. He took in a deep breath, relishing in the fact that he was not breathing in water. Rain pattered loudly on the roof. It took a little longer to calm down, but it helped immensely to touch Tino's back and feel his heartbeat. The Finn had not woken up at all. It was amazing how deeply he could fall asleep. Berwald got out of bed once he had calmed down enough. He knew he not be getting any more sleep that night.

Tino found his quiet husband watching television when he came down the stairs. He had woken up to an empty bed. This was unlike Berwald to both be up this early (it was six thirty) and not doing something productive. Sitting around watching television did not interest the Swede. He would rather be doing woodwork in the garage or fixing something. Tino did not say anything as he sat on the couch, curling up into Berwald's side. The larger man wrapped a comforting arm around his husband.

"How long have you been up?" Tino finally asked after a few minutes.

"Just for a little while." That was a lie. He had been up since two that morning.

Usually Tino was perceptive to lies, but this time he only nodded his head.

"Are you okay, Ber?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just couldn't get back to sleep."

Berwald was not okay though. The nightmares plagued his mind for the next three nights. Each dream was different, but they all had to do with Tino dying. Berwald could not go back to sleep at all and the lack of it began to show. He was exhausted throughout the day and dark circles appeared under his eyes. Tino knew something was wrong, but every time he questioned his husband the man would give a lame excuse. The entire situation was starting to take a toll on the both of them. An argument broke out one day after dinner over differing opinions on what should be done with some items in the attic. They never argued to the point of yelling. Then the topic shifted to Berwald's lack of sleep. Tino was hurt that Berwald would not tell him what was wrong. All he wanted to do was help. The Swede had yelled back that he was fine and swept out his arm. His hand accidentally hit a glass cup off of the counter. It shattered on the floor. The rest of the evening was spent in near silence. Tino tried to stay away from his husband and Berwald wallowed in embarrassment and anger. It was awkward the next day, but they did make up. On the sixth night, Berwald tried to stay awake for fear of what that night's dream would be. However, exhaustion won the battle and he fell into a restless sleep.

_Their kitchen was a total wreck. Glass had been shattered all over the floor and various items they kept on the counters were strewn everywhere. A picture frame that was once hanging on the wall by the back door had been thrown into the living room. Berwald was standing in the doorway that went to the formal dining room. His eyes roamed the room, trying to make sense of the mess. What had happened? Where was Tino?_

_He took one step into the kitchen and felt his foot slide on something wet. His blue eyes lowered to the floor and he gasped loudly. He had stepped in blood. When he looked back up at the whole room, he found that it had changed. Blood was everywhere. It had been painted on the cabinets and sprayed across the back wall. There was a smear across the floor as if something had been dragged across the hardwood. Berwald followed the smear with his eyes and next saw a pair of bare feet sticking out from behind the island counter._

"_TINO!"_

_The Finn was lying on his side, facing the island. There was a large pool of blood around him. Berwald was instantly at his side, falling to the floor on his knees._

"_Tino?" He gathered up his husband in his arms._

_Clouded eyes stared up at the ceiling. There was no breath heard, no heartbeat felt. There was nothing. Berwald's heart dropped to the floor. Tears rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto the dead man's face. Who could have done this?_

"_Why?"_

_Berwald sucked in a breath. That voice was not his own. He looked down at Tino and found almost violet eyes staring back. Fresh blood dribbled out of the corner of his mouth._

"_Why?" Tino asked quietly. "Why?"_

"_I don't… understand." The Swede replied quietly._

"_Why?"_

"_Who did this to you, Tino?"_

"_Why?"_

_A weight suddenly appeared in his left hand. Berwald tore his eyes away from Tino's to see what had been placed there. It was a bloody knife. The only wound that Tino had suffered from was a stab to his abdomen._

"_Why?"_

_Berwald threw the knife away. It slid across the floor, stopping by the toppled garbage can. His eyes were opened wide in shock as he tried to remember._

"_Why?"_

_He had no memory of a fight or wanting to bring harm to his husband._

"_Why?"_

_After setting Tino on the floor, he scooted away until his back connected with another set of cabinets. He brought his knees up to his chest._

"_Why?"_

"_Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!" Berwald screamed, covering his ears with his hands. "I didn't do it! I would never hurt you!"_

"_Why?"_

_The voice was still coming through loud and clear. A loud, uncharacteristic wail escaped from the taller man. His mind had gone into a tailspin. Why could he not remember anything? Was this what it was like to be insane?_

"_Why?"_

_Berwald looked up and saw Tino standing over him. The knife was in the Finn's hand._

"_Why?"_

"_I'm sorry!"_

"_Why?"_

"_I-I don't – "_

"_WHY?" And Tino suddenly charged forward with the knife._

A cry tore from Berwald as he shot upright in the bed. He moved so quickly that he fell off of the side and landed on his back, cracking his head against the floor. Tino was at his side in an instant.

"Berwald? Oh my god," he said as he helped his husband sit up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The Swede grabbed Tino and buried his face in his chest.

"What?" Tino was surprised when he felt tears soak into his night shirt. "What are you sorry about?"

The floodgate opened and Berwald told his husband everything. He explained every dream, every feeling, and why he could not say anything. He believed his sanity was slipping away and Tino shushed him at that part.

"I would never, _ever _hurt yeh, Tino!"

"I know, love."

"I-I can't take it anymore. I don't understand why I've been havin' these nightmares."

Tino thought it over. There were many reasons why one would lose sleep and have such terrifying nightmares. Insanity was one possibility, but he was one hundred percent sure that was not it. Stress was another cause; however, Berwald was never stressed. The only other reason he could think of was food. Some foods were thought to be the cause of someone having a dream.

"Berwald, what have you been eating before going to bed this week?"

"I've… I've had a piece or two of those dark chocolate brownies that Francis made us."

"That's probably what has been making you dream because you've never ate anything before bed before this week," Tino said, running his fingers through the other man's short hair.

When Berwald had calmed down and stopped crying, they decided to watch a movie. Sleep was the last thing Berwald wanted right then. He only wished to hold his husband tightly. Tino was more than happy to oblige. The next night Berwald made sure to not eat anything after seven o'clock. It was the first night in almost a week that he had a full eight hours of sleep. He was surprised at how well he felt the next morning. Even Tino noticed a change.

"You look much better today," the Finn said happily.

"I feel better." Berwald kissed him gently. "All thanks to yeh."

Tino laughed lightly at that and then snuggled closer to his husband. "I think today would be a good lazy day, what do you think? You could use some more rest."

"Yeh, it would be good… I love yeh, Tino. Thank you again."

"I will always be here for you and I love you too."

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